Modular dye meters are used to produce compounds comprising a plurality of components, such as colored compounds including enamels and paints. Modular dye meters usually comprise a plurality of tanks for storing individual components and corresponding batching and delivering devices which take specific amounts of each component from the corresponding tank and combine the components depending on desired composition of the compound. In general, there are two types of dye meters: first, dye meters with tanks in a fixed position connected through delivery ducts to a delivering head placed above a vessel for receiving the components of the compound, where delivery of individual components can occur simultaneously; and second, dye meters where the tanks are placed on platforms which rotate to place the individual tanks, or individual sub-groups of tanks, in turn, on the vessel to deliver the components of the compound. Additionally, some modular dye meters batch components based on weight of the component, and some modular dye meters batch components based on volume of the component. Modular dye meters with weight-based batching are typically more accurate but relatively slower compared with modular dye meters with volume-based batching.
All known dye meters have several disadvantages. First, they are complex leading to reliability problems over time. In particular, since all tanks share the same dye batching and delivering devices, the malfunction of one tank or even routine maintenance can stop production of the compound for a considerable time while spare parts and specialized assistance is obtained. Second, modular dye meters are relatively costly, particularly for small scale manufacturing. Third, modular dye meters are difficult to reconfigure to change the composition of the compound being produced. Fourth, modular dye meters suffer from dripping problems at the end of the delivery ducts, and in such drops both waste components and components can solidify within the delivery ducts causing clogs.
Therefore, there is a need for a modular dye meter and a method of preparing compounds that are not associated with these disadvantages.